RULING PARTY AGAIN LINKED WITH ‘CRIMINAL ELEMENTS’
By Anna Saghabalian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Aug. 16, 2006

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) faced on Wednesday more
opposition allegations that it is increasingly relying on "criminal
elements" to retain and bolster its strong presence in the government.

Representatives of leading Armenian opposition parties said at a
roundtable meeting in Yerevan that the recent influx of more wealthy
and influential individuals into the HHK bodes ill for the freedom
and fairness of the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

"Pro-government forces have, of course, used criminal elements
before," said Stepan Zakarian of the opposition People’s Party of
Armenia (HZhK). "Now they are merging with those elements within the
framework of that party."

"An attempt is being made to drive ideology out of the political
field," he added.

"The political field is infested with criminal thinking, not to mention
criminal elements," agreed Paruyr Hayrikian, a prominent Soviet-era
dissident and veteran politician who leads a smaller opposition party
called the National Self-Determination Union.

The statements echoed serious concern voiced by former parliament
speaker Artur Baghdasarian at the weekend about what he described as
a growing involvement of reputed crime figures in political processes
in Armenia. He was understood to refer to individuals that joined
the HHK this summer along with Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian.

Most of the new HHK recruits are wealthy businessmen reliant on
government connections. Some are notorious for their nicknames that
have long sullied their reputations. Their political and economic
clout is seen as an additional boost to the HHK’s plans to secure
victory in the 2007 elections.

Mher Shahgeldian, deputy chairman of Baghdasarian’s Orinats Yerkir
party, claimed that they represent an additional obstacle to
Armenia’s democratization. "We must fight against that," he told
fellow oppositionists.

Hayrikian, who initiated the discussion, called for the creation of
a broad-based alliance of "ideology-carrying parties." He said he is
"surprised" by the absence of representatives of another governing
party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), among
roundtable participants.

Dashnaktsutyun leaders have repeatedly expressed concern at the
increased role of "apolitical elements" in government affairs. The
HZhK’s Zakarian warned that the nationalist party will risk being
"forced to serve those criminalized forces" if it fails to cooperate
with the Armenian opposition.